BrainDance Winners

Judged by expert clinicians and researchers in the mental health field, exemplary BrainDance pieces demonstrate the student's technical artistic ability and empathy with those who have mental illness.

Check out the winners below.

2024 Winners

Art Category

1st Place

  • Kaela Jia –“Unreachable”- Hall High School

2nd Place Tie

  • Melanie Boria-“Rinse and Repeat”- Nonnewaug High School
  • Brooke Celello- “Eating Alone”- Nonnewaug High School

3rd Place

  • Milly Janevathanavitya- “Intruders”- Suffield Academy 

Mixed Media Category

1st Place

  • Sami Bruce, Bella Carlson, Alexis DeLisle, Tatum DeSousa, Xelayna Flordelis, Mekyra Frison, Emma Gibbs, Emersyn Giordano, Cheyanne Haynes, Anjenie Hernandez, Alana LaPorta, Janelle Marquez, Kailey McCarthy, Isidora Milward, Mak Minor, Andrew Schwabe, Katie Delaire, Skylar Engel, Tianna Moore, & Mikaela Neuman- “The Adventures of the Left and Right Brain”- Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts

2nd Place

  • Jason Letourneau, Christos Wheatley, Justin Rowe, Devan Patel, Nicholas Smith, & Allison Vigue- “Isolation” – Coginchaug Regional High School

3rd Place Tie

  • Joe Cronk, Molly Stoetzle, Alex Wozynk, & Jack Franceschet – “Silent Suffering” - Coginchaug Regional High School
  • Anthony Sanzo – “My Decayed Journey” – The Webb School in the Valley

Academic Category

1st Place

  • Alina Singh – “Breaking the Silence” – Conard High School

2nd Place

  • Hannah Simko- “Autism: Looking Beyond the Surface” – Coventry High School

3rd Place

  • Li Adrienne Burce- “Resilience in the Japanese Work Culture” – Ellington High School
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2023 Winners

Art Category

1st Place

  • Madison Dannenhoffer – “Reality Reel” – Nonnewaug High School

2nd Place Tie

  • Maxwell Cleaveland- “Dear Future Me: A Journey Through an Eating Disorder” - Plainfield High School
  • Caroline Keating - “Hyper-Emotional”- Hall High School

3rd Place Tie

  • Serena Devine- “Anxiety” - Plainfield High School
  • Sequoia Dunn- “Ella”- Plainfield High School

Mixed Media Category

1st Place

  • Tyler Warner & Curt Rolka- “The Weight of Expectation”-Coginchaug Regional High School

2nd Place

  • Micayla Caramanello, Natalie Hess, & Ariana Holahan-“Anxiety Through the Lens of Others”- Coginchaug Regional High School

3rd Place

  • Christine Waterman-“Waiting for the Train”- Coginchaug Regional High School

Academic Category

1st Place

  • Reagan Hawkins- “How the Media Reduces Access to Postpartum Depression Care”-Coventry High School

2nd Place

  • Madison Trudeau-“Attacking the Puzzle”-Coventry High School

3rd Place

  • Alexandra Magrey-“Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the Media” Coventry High School
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2022 Winners

Art Category

1st Place

  • Nicole Marie Stevens – “Nancy” – Coginchaug Regional School

2nd Place Tie

3rd Place

  • Kayla Morelli – “The Pieces of the Puzzle ”  – Bristol Eastern High School

Mixed Media Category

1st Place

  • Amelia Lavigne – “Alcoholism and Addiction”  – Bristol Eastern High School

2nd Place

  • Chris Hoyecki, Jack Huscher, Braden Koba – “Everybody is at Risk” – Coginchaug Regional High School

3rd Place 

  • Cayden Bernard, Seth Overton, Mekhi Watson, Conner Willett, Jason Adams, Nicholas Letourneau, Max Czellecz – "Side of Things You Don't See" – Coginchaug Regional High School

Academic Category

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

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2021 Winners

Art Category

1st Place

  • Emma Walker – “Falling” – Newington High School

2nd Place

  • Caroline Smith – “My Uncle Kevin” – Coginchaug Regional High School

3rd Place Tie

Mixed Media Category

1st Place

  • Cadence Hurlbert, Lily French, Aidan Garcia, Audrey Labasi, Noelle Sorenson – “It Weighs Me down” – Coginchaug Regional High School

2nd Place

  • Matthew Stopka, Sebby Manning, Tyler Garretson – “Hidden Emotions” – Coginchaug Regional High School

3rd Place Tie

Academic Category

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place Tie

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2020 Winners

Academic

1st Place

  • Amber Hawkins, Narda Portales and Kenna Riley from Norwich Technical High School 

2nd Place

  • Grace Bugnacki from Coventry High School

3rd Place tie

  • Stephanie Novick, Durpy Patel, and Ismael Monteiro de Pina from Norwich Technical High School
  • Olivia Ayers from Hall High School 

Art

1st Place tie

  • Tracy Lam from Southington High School
  • Brianna Webb and Jessy Haggard from Housatonic High School

2nd Place

  • Lily Vining from Lyman Hall High School

3rd Place tie

  • Michelle Carrasquillo from Windsor Locks High School
  • Abigail King from Bristol Eastern High School

Mixed Media

1st Place tie

  • Rivka Resnick from TECCA High School in MA
  • Spencer Alsup, Conner Byrne, Dylan Sartor and Pierce Stephan from Coginchaug High School

2nd Place

  • Neyshalee Carrillo and Erin Melocowsky from Glastonbury High School

3rd Place

  • Eve Slemp and Sonya Huang from East Lyme High School

Teacher

  • Mrs. Jane Novia O’Reilly from Fairfield Prep High School
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